Tens of thousands of protesters blockaded the streets of Hong Kong over the weekend to fight for democracy, shielding themselves from tear gas and pepper spray with surgical masks, goggles and umbrellas.

What they are fighting for

Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, when the UK handed it back to China. Under the principle of "one country, two systems," Hong Kong was afforded economic and political freedoms outside the traditional socialist rule of the People's Republic of China. This system is supposed to remain in place until 2047, yet what is to happen after that time has never been officially stated.

In a deal at the time of the reunification of China, it was agreed that the people of Hong Kong would be able to elect their own head official, the chief executive, democratically in 2017. Then in August 2014, Beijing backflipped, saying the elected chief executive would have to be approved by a Beijing-loyal committee, which would likely rule out opposition democratic candidates.

"Since the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the sovereignty, security and development interests of the country are at stake, there is a need to proceed in a prudent and steady manner," the National People's Congress Standing Committee said.

Hong Kong's residents have long felt their city stood apart from mainland China thanks to the civil liberties and separate legal and financial systems that come under "one country, two systems."

Beijing's insistence on using a committee to screen candidates — similar to the one that currently hand-picks Hong Kong's leaders — has stoked fears among pro-democracy groups that Hong Kong will never get genuine democracy.

This fear has compelled people of all ages to join the protests on the streets.

How the confrontation escalated

The rally began with a peaceful sit-in by university students outside Hong Kong's city government headquarters in Admiralty, near the central business district, following the announcement of Beijing's controversial plan for the 2017 election.

Over the weekend, the normal order of Hong Kong began to turn increasingly chaotic. As the crowd size swelled, people spilled onto major roads, blocking traffic.

The police came out in force. A cloud of tear gas descended on the area, and riot police could be seen brandishing long-barreled guns as they attempted to gain back control of the Central district.

Riot police use pepper spray against protesters after thousands of people blocked a main road to the financial central district outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong.

Image: AP Images/Associated Press

Many saw the police tactics as heavy-handed. Members of the public flooded onto the streets to show their support and even more chaotic scenes ensued.

Anson Chan, the former chief secretary of Hong Kong under British rule, called the police action against unarmed protesters a "sad day for Hong Kong."

“Pictures of our police force firing pepper spray and tear gas into the faces of unarmed protesters will shame our government in front of the whole world,” she said.

A student protester is overcome by pepper spray from riot police as thousands of protesters surround the government headquarters in Hong Kong Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014.

Image: AP Images/Associated Press

The government said 26 people were taken to hospitals after being hit by the fumes of the tear gas, and 148 people were arrested over the weekend.

As violence escalated, police moved in to try to block people from entering the area, with reports saying Hong Kong police used rubber bullets to move the crowd on. The police have denied this accusation, calling the claims "totally untrue."

The protests reached a high point on Sunday night, with tens of thousands of demonstrators out in the streets.

Hong Kong's current Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying called for calm and dispelled talk that the Chinese army planned to intervene.

"I hope the public will keep calm. Don't be misled by the rumors. Police will strive to maintain social order, including ensuring smooth traffic and ensuring the public safety," he said in a statement. "When they carry out their duties, they will use their maximum discretion."

The streets of Hong Kong filled with pro-democracy activists.

Image: AP Images/Associated Press

As the sun went down on Sunday, authorities urged activists to go home.

"We don't want Hong Kong to be messy," Leung said in a video statement that was broadcast in Hong Kong early Monday. Most protesters disregarded the calls for calm and dispersion, with many sleeping on the streets overnight.

Edward Yau, a 19-year-old business and law student, told the Associated Press he wouldn't give up without a fight.

"This is a long fight. I hope the blockade will continue tomorrow, so the whole thing will be meaningful. The government has to understand that we have the ability to undo it if they continue to treat us like we are terrorists," he said.

What is Occupy Central?

In January last year, Benny Tai, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, called for an act of "civil disobedience" if the plan for "universal suffrage" — one person, one vote — did not go ahead as promised.

This started the movement known as Occupy Central with Love and Peace, in which residents of Hong Kong were urged to participate in peaceful protests to fight for the granting of full democracy by Beijing.

"If the authorities concerned ignore the democratic demands of the citizens and suggest an election method, which violates the corresponding international standards, we shall at appropriate time carry out civil disobedience acts, including 'Occupy Central,'" a letter of intent by the Occupy Central group declared on its website.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the movement called for the resignation of Leung, as his "non-response to the people's demands has driven Hong Kong into a crisis of disorder."

It is clear from the size of the protests that frustrations with Beijing's stranglehold are starting to come through the cracks and pro-democracy visions are being embraced.

What happens next

As the sun rose on Monday, protesters remained on the streets, which caused chaos for early morning commuters and businesses in the financial district, the Straits Times reported.

Major roads were congested and public transportation systems were interrupted, with 200 bus routes suspended or diverted, as many frustrated residents tried to make their way to work. The stock exchange said it would continue to operate as normal, despite the ongoing protests, while banks and retail stores remained closed.

The streets of Hong Kong last night as protesters spilled onto the major roads.

Image: AP Images/Associated Press

In a statement, police urged the public to remain calm and move off the main roads.

"Since protesters have blocked the roads for a long time, the daily life of the public, public transport and emergency service are seriously affected," the police said. "Police urge the protesters to stay calm, and stop charging police cordon lines and occupying the main roads, so that the roads can be re-opened to emergency and public vehicles."

Yet overnight, activists had set up blockades and were settling in for a lengthy battle as the protests spread to more areas. Demonstrators handed out thousands of umbrellas, which are quickly becoming the symbol of the protests.

"The people of Hong Kong are fighting an uphill battle. The freedom struggle is going to be a long one, as we are trying to build the democratic culture Hong Kong has never had from the ground up," Occupy Central said on its website.

CORRECTION, Oct. 1: This post in one instance mistakenly used "Republic of China" to refer to the full name of the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China is the formal name of the government of Taiwan.

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